A New Begining to an Old Way of Life
by Alvit
Summary: Harry runs away from Hogwarts to live a life that is not dictated by anyone else. When he meets a mage during his journey, he learns an interesting secret about himself. Years later he returns to confront his past. Slash.
1. The Run Away

Hey guys! I have been thinking about this story for a long time and I had to start writing it because it was driving me crazy, so here it is! Please review and then check out my other story "An Unlikely Friendship" and of course a special thanks to my beta **redredredred **for editing this and for putting up with me in general. 

RATING: PG-13

DISCLAIMER: Characters are (of course) not mine. They belong to the beloved J. K. Rowling.

WARNING: Mild swearing and eventual slash

Chapter 1: The Run Away

It was a mildly warm day in Surrey England as Harry Potter stretched out languidly in the shade of a large hemlock tree. The summer holidays had just begun a little less then two weeks ago and as of yet, it surprisingly failed to be completely miserable.

Due to the greatly amusing Ton-Tongue Toffee incident last summer, Harry had been expecting treatment along the lines of just before his second year when they had locked him in his room. However, so far the Dursleys had been, at the very least bearable. Uncle Vernon had let him keep his school books (not that he'd even thought about doing his homework this early in the summer mind you) and he hadn't been forced to do insignificant chores. In fact, they barely acknowledged Harry and he strongly suspected the work of Arthur Weasley. // He must have made quite an impression, for them to be so lenient with me. // The only thing putting a damper on his vacation was Voldemort and even that issue seemed very far away at this moment.

Folding his arms behind his head, Harry smiled and closed his eyes thinking of his friends, his godfather and returning to Hogwarts. However it was not a moment later that his rest was interrupted by the arrival of a small tawny owl with a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. Intrigued as to what it might contain since it definitely was not his school supplies list this early on in the summer, Harry hastily ripped open the letter and read: 

_Dear Mr. Potter, _

Due to an occurrence of events, your presence is required at Hogwarts for an important meeting including a number of your professors and myself. You will be escorted to the school by one Remus Lupin who will arrive at your place of residence at precisely 12:00 p.m. on Sunday the 13th of June. Please be packed and ready to go with all of your necessary things, as you will not be returning to your relatives for an undetermined period of time.

Sincerely, 

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 

Harry stared at the parchment with wide eyes as he reread it twice more. He was leaving the Dursleys and going to Hogwarts…Showing an incredible amount of self restraint, Harry managed to retain the whoop of joy that threatened to escape his lips as he did not believe that his relatives, who were taking a nap inside, would appreciate it very much. //I'm going back to Hogwarts! Wait, the 13th is tomorrow, I've got to pack! // And with that thought, he rushed inside, anxious to get ready for his departure.

* * *

It was five minutes to twelve on Sunday when Harry dragged his trunk from upstairs and placed it in the foyer. All three of the Dursleys were sitting in the living room with a mixture of fear over the soon to be arrival, and excitement that Harry was leaving. 

They didn't have to wait much longer though because at exactly twelve p.m. sharp, there was a soft knock on the front door, and Harry raced to it, nearly tripping over his trunk in the process, and flung it open. There, standing on the front steps with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face, was the one and only Remus Lupin.

"Professor!" Harry yelled whilst he threw himself into the other man's arms who laughed and only just managed to catch him in time. 

"Harry, do me a favor and never call me professor again as I am no longer your teacher and you are no longer my student. Besides, it makes me feel old." He said with a grin.

"Oh, alright…Mr. Lupin." Remus' eyes narrowed as Harry ineffectively tried to hide a smile.

  
"Nor are we business associates." He grumbled. "We are friends. And as such I expect you to call me by my given name. Or Moony." He added as an afterthought. 

"Fine, fine." The younger boy replied holding his hands up in mock surrender. "But you should have seen your face when I called you Mr. Lupin, it was priceless." And this time he was not able to contain the smile. Remus still looked slightly miffed that his young charge had had the audacity to call him such a thing, but none the less was still amused as he broke into a grin and ruffled Harry's already messy hair. 

But just then the good mood was spoiled by a deep grunt from the house. The two turned to see the Dursleys lurking in the hallway trying not to look too anxious by the presence of a fully trained legal wizard in front of their house. 

"Well, hello there." Remus said in a pleasant voice that was edged with ice, the one reserved for people he didn't like but was willing to put up with. People that usually tended to be Severus Snape.

"Who are you?" Vernon asked gruffly once he managed to find his voice.

"My name is Remus Lupin. I am a friend of Harry's and am here to pick him up."

"Well good." Vernon replied looking a bit surer of himself. "There he is and there's his stuff" he said pointing to the trunk. "Now leave. I don't enjoy people of your kind hanging around my family or my home." The werewolf's eyes glittered dangerously and a very low growl rumbled from deep within his chest. Never before had Harry seen the likes of the glare that was leveled at the Dursleys from his former professor and he was quite relieved that he was not on the receiving end of it. It was then that he realized how much a part of Remus the wolf really was.

"Well Mr. Dursley, your lack of hospitality astounds me. Never before have I met such a distasteful person and I assure you I have made quite a few peoples' acquaintances. Now, I have a great amount of self control over my temper which keeps me from evoking any bodily harm on you however, I can't say the same for Harry's godfather Sirius Black. So, unless you wish to get involved with an overprotective convict, I suggest that you keep your mouth shut while Harry and I get ready to leave if you know what's good for you." Then, ignoring the trembling relatives, Remus quickly gathered up the trunk and then pulled out a plain looking quill. "Ready to go?" He asked the black-haired boy. Harry didn't answer, just took hold of the quill in Remus' hand and soon found himself standing in front of the Hogwarts' gates. 

After casting a levitation charm on the trunk, chatting amiably, Remus and Harry started their journey up the long pathway that led to the school. They discussed everything from Defense Against the Dark Arts to Quidditch and Harry began to feel that the year or so that had passed since they had seen each other had never happened at all.

"Um Remus?" Harry asked when they were nearly upon the school.

"Yes?"

"What am I doing here? I mean, what's this all about, what's going to happen?" The older man was quiet for a minute before responding.

"To be honest Harry, I don't rightly know. I believe that it has to do with Voldemort and concerning your safety, but other than that, the Headmaster has told Sirius and I nothing."

"Sirius?"

"Well, yes…oh Harry I forgot to tell you! Sirius will be staying at the castle as well; in fact he's up there right now. We both came up the day after all the students left for vacation. It just completely slipped my mind that you didn't know that we had come back."

"Sirius is up at the castle?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well then what are we doing hanging around here for?!" And with that Harry sprinted off with Remus close behind. In a couple of minutes, he had made it to the front doors and rushed in after yanking them open. It was when he stopped in the middle of the entrance hall that he realized that he had no idea where to go, which could therefore pose a bit of a problem. But just then, a shout of "Harry!" from above him caught his attention. Hurrying down the grand staircase toward him was just the person that he wanted to see. Sirius Black. 

Running to meet him halfway, Harry soon found himself locked in a tight embrace and was amazed at the sudden relief he felt from this simple gesture and the whispered "Missed you."

"I missed you too. Two months is much too long to be away, let's not do that anymore alright?" He felt Sirius nod his head, but nothing else was said and the two only broke apart when they heard Remus coming up behind them.

"Sirius, do you really think that you should be running around in your human form like that? Anyone could just walk in here at anytime."

"Oh don't worry so much Moony old pal!" Sirius replied joyfully. "No one's going to be coming in here unless Dumbledore knows about them. You saw those wards he set up yesterday. And besides, everyone else already here knows that I'm innocent so everything is just dandy!"

"Fine, but just make sure that you don't go outside like that ok? You could wander too far and go past the perimeter of the school then maybe stumble upon someone who *doesn't* know that you're innocent and then they might-" Remus' tangent was unfortunately cut short by Sirius who had sighed audibly and rolled his eyes before slinging an arm around his godson.

"You see Harry, this is what he was like when he was younger too. And do you know how hard it was to try and pull pranks when you have Professor Lupin there breathing down your neck and warning you about all the things that could go wrong?" Harry's chuckle was quickly stifled as he caught sight of the dark look that Remus was shooting in their direction but Sirius simply continued on, oblivious, completely unaware of the thin ice that he was treading on. 

"Eventually your father and I managed to loosen him up and he turned out to be quite a good marauder. But now, I'm afraid that due to his time spent as a teacher, he's reverted back to having that giant broomstick up his-" Suddenly Sirius let out a high pitched girly shriek as he was tackled from behind by a none too happy werewolf.

The fight didn't last long as Remus already had the advantage and soon Sirius gave up the futile struggle for freedom with a scowl on his face.

"I'd watch what you say about your friends next time Padfoot" Remus told him smugly as he helped the other man off the floor. "Next time I may do more than just embarrass you in front of your godson." Thankfully they made it to the Gryffindor tower without further incident and once Harry had dropped his things in the 5th year dorm, the three settled down to a delicious lunch graciously provided by Dobby in the common room.

Afterwards, he told them stories of his first couple of years at Hogwarts that they found entertaining once they had gotten over the shock and finished scolding him for his recklessness. However he stayed as far away from his life at the Durselys' as possible as he didn't think that it would go over too well. It was only when Remus pointed out that they were late for their meeting with Dumbledore that they all scrambled out of the portrait hole and headed for the stone gargoyle on the 5th floor.

Upon entering the familiar circular room that was Dumbledore's office, Harry was surprised with the sight of not just the headmaster but also professors Snape and McGonagall. They were situated side by side on a purple velvet couch to the left of the headmaster's large mahogany desk and they looked as usual, Snape with his trademark sneer, and McGonagall with her patented frown.

"Ah! Welcome, welcome. Glad to see you all could make it!" Dumbledore greeted them. //Like anyone would ever say no to him// Harry scoffed mentally. //The day that happens is the day that I find Snape to be a sensitive, caring person. // After being ushered into armchairs in front of the desk and offered large assortment of muggle candy and five different flavors of tea, it appeared that the headmaster might be ready to get down to business. Turning to the confused, shaggy haired boy in front of him, he smiled.

"Now Harry, I assume your wondering why you were brought here today." 

Instead of responding with the more inappropriate thought that his brain had immediately come up with, Harry merely nodded and replied, "Yes sir." Blue eyes twinkled behind half moon spectacles. 

"Well the reason is this. With the sudden uprising of Voldemort we have a situation on our hands concerning your safety." //Uh-oh, why does this not sound good? // "What I've decided to do is have you relocated to a place that is…well, let's call it a safe haven. You will attend school there with specialized, private tutors, live there year round; it will basically be your new home your for the next three year-"

"What?!" Dumbledore never got a chance to finish his sentence as both Sirius and Remus had jumped out of their seats and were furiously demanding explanations for the headmaster's outlandish decision. Oddly enough, Harry didn't make any noise at all.

"Sirius, Remus *please!*" Both men stopped dead. "The least you could do is let me finish before you start protesting and making accusations. You need to first understand the circumstances." Looking sheepish, they once again took to their seats. "Thank you. Now, people have always said that Hogwarts is the safest place on earth. However that seems to be the exact opposite for young Harry here. //Young Harry? He did *not* just say that did he? // 

"Well you can hardly expect otherwise with the boy's natural ability to seek out trouble can you Albus?" Snape asked from the corner. Sirius growled and started for the man but was swiftly deterred by Remus. Ignoring the interruptions, the headmaster continued. 

"Frankly I don't believe that Harry is anywhere near being sufficiently protected. Despite our best attempts in the past, Harry has always managed to allude every single professor including me, and stumble upon unfortunate situations, which I'm sure you've heard about so you know what I mean." Dumbledore finished, his voice filled with mirth.

"But Albus are you sure just carting him away somewhere //I love how they talk about me as if I'm not here. // is the best thing to do? You'll be taking him away from everything he knows! His school, his friends, us…" he gestured to himself and Remus who was sitting on the other side of Harry. But before Dumbledore could answer, Harry spoke up.

"Sirius it's all right. Granted it won't be fun being by myself for most of the year, but I'm sure we'll get to visit, and there's always the holidays, and of course we'll still write letters…we'll make it work, I promise." The headmaster coughed loudly and brought their attention back to himself.

"Actually Harry, you won't be able to do any of those things." Paying no attention to the shocked looks on their faces he said, "The whole point is to keep you safe and the fewer people that know where you are the better. If you visited, you could be tracked. If you owled, they could be intercepted. After you leave I *will* inform Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger of the circumstances, but the best way to handle this is to remove you completely till you are able to finish your schooling. Or" He added after a moment's pause that looked to Harry as if he were debating with himself to say anything else "until it is necessary to bring you back here for whatever purpose. Professor's Snape and McGonagall will be your escorts to your new residence and will get you situated. You will go back to the tower and get your things and will leave with them once you are ready. This matter is not up for discussion," he said, holding his hands up to Sirius and Remus who were fuming. He gave them each meaningful looks as if he were begging them to understand "It is for the best. Think about Harry's safety. Isn't it more important then whether or not *you* are personally happy with this new arrangement? Besides," he added "With Voldemort's rising, Harry's stay at Hogwarts could not only hurt him, but it could also prove a danger to the other students as well."

That did it. Dumbledore had pulled the ultimate card. He knew both Sirius and Remus would do anything in order to keep Harry safe and he had played on that. Remus gave a resigned sigh while Sirius bowed his head in defeat. This wasn't fair. He had just gotten his godson back. He shouldn't have had to loose him again so soon.

Dumbledore looked back again at Harry with sadness in his eyes. "I'm very sorry it had to be this way Harry, I know how hard it must be for you but please understand that it's the right thing."

The Boy Who Lived was silent. On the outside, his face was the very epitome of calm indifference, watching the scene enfold before him passively. But inside, he was mad. No, this went beyond mad. It went beyond angry, furious, and even livid. Harry Potter wasn't mad, he was enraged. How *dare* these people think they had the right to dictate his life as they saw fit, never once asking him his opinion. It was only his life after all. Why bother finding out if he had any plans of what he wanted to do with it? They saw him as public property. He belonged to everyone did he not? Being the savior of the wizarding world and all that. What did it matter that they had never bothered to participate in his life for the first eleven years, leaving him to grow up miserable and alone. Big deal that he had emotional scars so deep that even he didn't know how far they ran, from being tormented and abused by people that were supposed to be his family. Who cared that he wasn't sure if he would ever stop believing the idea that he was just a worthless freak unfit for love by anyone or anything, they still had the right to order him around as they pleased right? //No. //

Standing slowly, Harry kept his eyes locked on Dumbledore's which were no longer twinkling. His face remained an expressionless mask yet he still wondered if the older man knew what he was thinking.

"No." Dumbledore seemed confused by this response. Maybe it was because no one had ever said 'no' to him before. //Hmm, I guess this means that Snape really *is* a nice guy… //

"I'm sorry Harry but the decision has already been made. You will be leaving-"

"NO!" The five adults stared at the fifteen-year-old wizard standing in front of them, all too shocked to say anything. This couldn't be the sweet, innocent, naïve boy that despite his issues with rules, had always remained placidly excepting towards adults, giving them the respect their position deserved (well except maybe for Snape…). Who figured that they knew what was best, so he would do well not to argue; especially if that adult happened to be Albus Dumbledore whose mere name could commanded respect from all those around. 

But there he was, openly defying the man and not looking the least bit sorry for it. "I refuse to keep sitting around and having you all run my life for me. I'm tired of everyone thinking that they have the right to dictate everything I say and do just because I am the bloody Boy Who Lived! Do you all think that I'll just nod my head and agree while you toss me aside for a couple years until you think that I'll prove beneficial to you in the war? Because that is what you meant earlier isn't it? I'll stay there until I've graduated or until you need me to come back and kill Voldemort for you, but until one of those things happens I'm to stay there because you don't want my presence getting anyone killed? Well I'm sorry that you think I'm such a liability to the effort, but if I was such a burden you could have just said so instead of dancing around the issue like you always do! I managed just fine on my own without the help of any of you for the first part of my life and just so you know, from now on I'll make damn well sure that I don't need your help for however long I live after this!" With that said he turned on his heel and fled the room not giving any of them time to react.

He ran along the corridors as fast as he could in the general direction of the Gryffindor tower. Luck seemed to be on his side now because none of the staircases decided to change direction on him halfway up the steps and he didn't see one single teacher, ghost or even peeves along the way. As he turned another corner into a new corridor and burst through a tapestry, he began thinking back to what he had just said to his professors and godfather. He mentally berated himself but he couldn't help the overwhelmingly pleased feeling he was getting from it. Sure they all meant a lot to him, and yes he felt slightly guilty about what he had said, but he was sick and tired of not being able to have a normal life. He kept running until he made it to the portrait of the fat lady and after shouting the password he sprinted inside and upstairs to his dorm room. 

Heading for his stuff he quickly unlocked the trunk and pulled out his satchel. But instead of the usual books, he threw in his invisibility cloak and wand, his bag of money from his Gringotts vault and key, a spare set of robes, and finally the album of pictures of his parents that he had gotten from Hagrid in his first year. After tossing his cloak about his shoulders, he picked up his bag and Firebolt and headed for the window, which he pushed open. //I may not ever be allowed to live a normal life, but at least the life I live from now on will be my own. // And with that, he jumped on his broomstick and took off out the window. It would be a long time before Harry Potter saw Hogwarts again.

* * *

So, what did you think? Be my friend and review! All opinions excepted, but since I have a twisted sense of humor, flames will be laughed at.


	2. Found and Lost Again

I updated! Aren't you all proud of me? Well, I won't bother ya'll too long but I just wanted to say thanks for all the amazing reviews and offers to beta, and of course I want to thank my beta **Daelan** for putting up with my broken computer and my constant emails. And even though she couldn't work on this chapter, I still want to thank my other beta **redredredred **for all her hard work and my friend Denise for being my BIGGEST critic of all. Ok, Enjoy!

RATING: PG-13

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, but I wonder if I can bid for them on Ebay….

WARNING: Swearing and Slash (what more could you ask for?)

SPOILERS: Books 1-4 (Rowling and I are having words over book 5),

Chapter 2: Found and Lost Again

__

"I managed just fine on my own without the help of any of you for the first part of my life and just so you know, from now on I'll make damn well sure that I don't need your help for however long I live after this!" With that said he turned on his heel and fled the room not giving any of them time to react…//I may not ever be allowed to live a normal life, but at least the life I live from now on will be my own. // And with that, he jumped on his broomstick and took off out the window. It would be a long time before Harry Potter saw Hogwarts again.

~ ~ ~

Everyone in the office sat stunned as they watched Harry flee the room. They'd all expected a reaction yes, anger, hurt, disappointment, but none so powerful as this. For a moment, no one could do anything. But then Sirius who was the first to recover was up from his chair in a flash ready to follow. Then suddenly to his dismay was stopped by Dumbledore before he had even taken a step. 

"Let him go, Sirius." The animagus appeared to not have heard him as he continued for the door mumbling things no one could quite make out save for a few words that sounded like _Harry_, _upset_, and _need to_ _help_. Not surprisingly however, Albus seemed to understand perfectly. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap.

"You're right Sirius, Harry *is* upset and despite your good intentions, he, at the moment, will not be ready for rational discussion on the present matter. It is not absolutely necessary that he leave tonight so I recommend that you wait until the morning to talk to him. By then he will have calmed down and we will be able to proceed to convince him why our plan is the best one. Harry has always been a very reasonable child," at this comment, Snape let out a very loud snort but Dumbledore ignored him. "Eventually he will come to accept the decisions made."

"But Albus this is absurd!" He cried out slumping back into his seat. "You can't send Harry away! You'll be taking from him everything and everyone he has ever cared about. How do you expect him to learn and study when he is to depressed to even pick up a book?! You can't do this to him, I refuse to let you destroy what is left of his childhood." The headmaster shook his head.

"I'm sorry to do this Sirius but this is not your decision to make." Sirius opened his mouth to protest but Dumbledore cut him off with a wave of his hand. "You may be his godfather but to the rest of the world you are a convicted criminal and on the run from the Ministry of Magic. Frankly, until you are cleared you have no real say in what happens to him." 

Closing his mouth with an audible snap, Sirius clenched his jaw tightly enough to break teeth as he quickly stood from his seat; anger and helplessness waging a fierce battle inside of him. Having nothing to respond with and little else to do, he shot a glare at the aged headmaster then exited the room without a backward glance.

Remus watched him go with a heavy heart. He knew how his friend felt, as he was feeling much the same way himself. He only wished that there was something that could be done to comfort him. But knowing Sirius, he'd be more in the mood for sulking instead of comfort after the headmaster's harsh words.

"Albus, are you so sure that this plan is the best one? I mean, Sirius is right. If you send him away he will be unhappy and miserable and I, for one, think that he has experienced those feelings a little too often for his short life." Out of the corner of his eye, Remus could see Minerva nodding her head along with his statement.

"I agree with Remus headmaster. By coming to Hogwarts Harry has finally found the support that he never had while growing up. Even after everything he has faced, I don't think you realize how much he relies on his friends." 

"Which is precisely why he's doing this Minerva. If Mr. Potter is going to be fighting in this war then he needs to learn to rely solely on himself. He must stop depending on his luck and fan club to get him through any challenge that he happens upon. Neither will last forever you know." Dumbledore broke in before Mcgonagall could reply to Snape's comment.

"It's true that Harry is too young to have seen some of the things that he has. He has been through more then many fully trained aurors can say they have, but that is precisely why we need to get him away. Over the years Hogwarts has proved time and again that it is not safe enough for him. By doing this, he has a greater chance of survival and like Severus said, he'll learn how to handle problems on his own. And if that risks his momentary happiness, then that is the way that it has to be."

Knowing a dismissal when they here one, the three adults bid Albus goodbye before returning to their respective rooms. An uneasy feeling, the cause of which they were unable to pin down, troubled each of them. It wasn't until the next morning that it was revealed.

* * *

Sirius and Remus met outside the Gryffindor portrait the following day preparing themselves for a talk with Harry before they went down to breakfast. They greeted each other sullenly, their every action always half hearted and still too upset over Dumbledore's chosen plan of action at the moment to care about it. They knew that it didn't matter that they didn't agree with the decision. There was really nothing to be done, but it didn't stop them from trying to make Harry feel better about it. 

The 15-year-old obviously had some repressed emotions that nobody had been aware of and it seemed that yesterday had been a bit too much for him to handle. It appeared that he finally had to let everything go and while Harry had had some very good points, deep down, Sirius had to admit that sending him away to a place where he didn't have to worry about the danger was actually a good idea. The hard part however, was trying to get Harry to believe that they were doing this because they loved him, not the other way around-and getting him to accepting their apology, which Sirius was beginning to doubt would be received. 

"Stop thinking about it Padfoot, you're going to give yourself a migraine."

"But I can't help it. It's just not fair! There has got to be something we could do."

"Life rarely is fair my friend, and no, there isn't." Remus cocked his head to one side. "Unless you wanted to kidnap him, there's a chance that we could get away before anyone noticed." Sirius' eyes glowed with delight.

"Moony, that's perfect! You distract Albus, and I'll grab Harry, and then the three of us could all meet up in Tibet where we could disguise ourselves as monks and live in a monastery until Harry comes of age!" 

Rolling his eyes, Remus ignored the animagus and spoke the password for common room before his friend could get any more ideas. Left alone, Sirius quickly followed after him up to the 5th year boys' dormitory.

"Harry?" Remus called while knocking on the door softly. When he got no answer, he knocked a little louder. 

"Harry, are you up yet?" Again there was no response. 

"Think we should go in?" Nodding, Remus reached for the knob.

"Harry, we're coming in." The door opened but when they looked in, they were not confronted with a sleeping Harry Potter, but an empty room.

"Do you think he went down to breakfast already?"

"Maybe, but why is his stuff scattered everywhere?" Shrugging his shoulders, Sirius scanned the room until he noticed a familiar piece of parchment fluttering across the floor due to the breeze from the open window. Smiling, he bent down to pick it up.

"Hey look Moony, the Marauder's Map!" 

"Great, now we can find out where Harry's gone off to." Pulling gout his wand, he solemnly swore that he was up to no good and little black lines immediately began to fill the page.

"Remus, I don't see him." Panicking slightly they began to search and research the paper for any sign of Harry. Abruptly, the werewolf looked up at Harry's trunk, then to the open window across the room, then back again to his things and finally down to the map.

"Sirius, the window's open, and Harry's broom is missing." Looking up from his pointless search, the animagus's eyes widened in shock when he also noticed these things. "Padfoot, if I'm not mistaken, Harry's run away."

"Oh shit." 

* * *

"Hagrid you'll head down to Hogsmeade and check for him there. Ask around a bit but don't seem too obvious, I want to keep anyone from finding out that he's missing for as long as possible. Remus, you've been to the Dursleys', I need you to go back there and see his relatives, and find out if Harry turned up in the middle of the night. Minerva, you're to go to the Weaselys'. More than likely, he has gone to seek refuge with them. While you're at it, send an owl to Ms. Hermione Granger's just in case he went there. Sirius, you're to go with Severus in your animagus form to Diagon Alley. It is where Harry went the last time he ran away so there is a good chance that he has gone there again.

If any of you find him, bring him back here immediately. I know I don't need to stress the severity of the situation to any of you. If Voldemort discovers that Harry is missing then there is no telling what could happen. Now go, and remember to meet me back here in an hour to discuss further steps to take if, God forbid, he doesn't turn up."

The small group of adults that had been summoned by Dumbledore to search for Harry when it was discovered that he was gone dispersed without delay once they had gotten their assignments. There was after all, no time to waste. With Voldemort back and the Boy-Who-Lived missing, things could get messy very quickly. All had their own reasons for wanting to find him but one thing was for certain, they needed to get Harry back fast.

* * *

Harry however was currently very happy and pleased with himself and had no intention of going back to Hogwarts anytime soon. Sitting in a booth in the Leaky Cauldron with a mug of butterbeer in his hands, his only immediate thoughts were focused on getting breakfast and then checking out as soon as possible. If he had learned anything from Sirius, it was that it wasn't smart to stay in one place for so long, especially a common wizarding joint and somewhere that he had incidentally run away to the last time. So, it was imperative that he get out as quickly as possible. 

The only problem was that he had no idea where he would go or how he was going to continue his education, but at the moment, he didn't care. He was free and ecstatically happy about it. They couldn't make him go back…nope, he wouldn't let them. They'd have more luck with trying to get Snape to wash his hair. Harry snorted into his butterbeer, //like *that'll* ever happen. //

He continued to reveal in his post flight bliss, pushing all guilty thoughts of Sirius and Remus and the worry that he could be causing them and everyone else aside, until his stomach gave a loud rumble. //Better get some food then. // He stood up from the table, swaying slightly due to exhaustion from his 12-hour flight the night before and prepared to head toward the bar. But before he had taken even a single step, the front door to muggle London flew open, and Severus Snape came in, striding toward the bartender followed by a large black dog.

"Bugger!" Ducking back into his booth before either man or dog saw him; Harry released a colourful string of curse words under his breath while at the same time berating himself for his stupidity. //Shit, shit, shit! I haven't even been a runaway for 24 hours yet and they've already found me…Although, I *did* manage to beat my 2-hour record from last time…// His thoughts trailed off as he watched Snape finish up his conversation with Tom and begin to ascend the staircase. //Probably thinks that I'm still in my room, too bad for him. //

After watching his professor disappear around the upstairs corridor, Harry began to survey the room. He had to get out of the pub and fast. The only problem was figuring out how. He was much closer to the door that lead to London than he was to Diagon Alley, but to reach it he would have to sneak past Padfoot from behind, which could prove tricky. Harry racked his brains for a few seconds before deciding to take his chances with slipping past Sirius, rather than the crowded room that lay in-between him and the back door. 

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, and grabbing his broom, Harry carefully moved off the seat and crept slowly toward his goal. //So far so good. // No one took any notice of the boy-who-lived as he made his way to the front of the room; everyone was too busy with their own lives to notice his odd behavior. Before he knew it, he was just a few feet away from the door with Sirius up ahead and slightly to the left, facing the staircase and away from him. He was just thinking of running the last few steps when he heard a shout from behind him.

"Black! Behind you!" Harry watched with horror as the dog spun around to face him and then crouched down, preparing to jump.

"Uh-oh." With only seconds, to spare, Harry leapt to the side just in time, avoiding his godfather's attempted tackle by inches. Within seconds Harry was up again, and unfortunately, so was Sirius. Knowing it was futile to try and reach the door now, he did the last thing he could and turned toward the only other exit left—and ran straight into Professor Snape. 

"You've caused more trouble and worry than you're worth, Potter," Snape growled latching onto the boy's forearm with a death grip and pulling him close. Harry felt the fingernails digging painfully into his skin but he stopped himself from wincing. "You're to put this foolishness aside and come with me back to Hogwarts at once."

"But I don't want to, Professor," he replied, grinning impishly despite the nervousness that he felt as he began to formulate a plan. He had only one shot, and he wasn't about to pass up a chance to humiliate Snape after four years of torture. 

"You realize that you have no choice in this matter, do you not?" 

"Actually, I do. Tell me Professor Snape, how does it feel to be the one to let the famous, trouble making Harry Potter slip through your fingers?"

"I assure you," Snape ground out. "That that'll never happen." Harry smirked.

"If you say so." And then with all the force that he could muster, he raised his leg quickly and stomped down hard onto Snape's instep. The pain of the impact plus the surprise of a physical attack left his professor momentarily off guard. With the grip loosened on his arm, Harry broke free of the grasp and then was back on the ground, rolling out of the way of Snape's outstretched fingers and clinging tightly to his broom. While doing all of this, he could only think about how his professor was going to kill him if he was ever caught.

"Somebody stop that boy!" 

The next few minutes were utter chaos. With Snape's temper being widely known in these parts, at least 10 patrons of the bar jumped at his command in order to avoid having it directed at them.

In the next few seconds, hands were everywhere, reaching out and grabbing for limbs and clothing alike. But Harry eluded them all and they caught only air. He wasn't the youngest seeker in a century for no reason; he was quick, much too fast for any of them. Soon he was dodging bodies; leaping over chairs and diving under tables to avoid capture, all with a grin plastered on his face. This, he decided while listening to the wild shouts of his pursuers and frantic dog barking, was exciting. His eyes were alight from the adrenaline coursing through his body and the thrill of getting caught only added to it all. Even flying had never given him this type of rush.

Soon he had reached the back door and flung it open. But before he went through, he pulled a small bag of gold from his pocket. 

"Hey Tom!" He called out. The old bartender turned to look in his direction. With an almighty heave, Harry threw the pouch across the room to him and smiled when he caught it. "Thanks for the room!" And then he was gone, Snape's angry yells and Tom's smiling face following him out the door. 

Once he made it outside, Harry knew that he had only seconds to spare and wasted no time in getting ready. He had just pulled out his invisibility cloak and hopped on his broom when the back door flew open, revealing his Professor and animagus godfather. But before they could react, Harry had flashed them a grin, and took off, pulling on his cloak as he went, leaving the pair standing in the doorway, mouths hanging open in shock. //Hmm, this is turning out to be quite a day. //

* * *

Remus was just making his way up to Dumbledore's office after a failed attempt of Harry-searching at the Dursleys' when the first angry shouts assaulted his sensitive ears. He continued to make his way up the winding staircase, not even bothering to knock as he entered the circular room and let out a great heaving sigh—not that anyone heard it over the ruckus, as the voices of those arguing became known. 

"You're the one who lost my godson you ignorant prick!"

"May I remind you Black, that if you had not been dallying around and had been paying attention to your job of guarding the door, then we might not be having this conversation in the first place?"

"He didn't escape out the front door, Snape! He ran out the back after *you* failed to catch him."

"Never could take the blame, could you Black? You always had to pass it off on someone else you arrogant bastard—"

"Gentlemen! Although I realize that both of you might find this trip down memory lane very stimulating, your conversation is straying off course of the intended subject. I invite you to continue this debate at a later time if you so wish, but please, for the sake of the mission, quite it before I throw the both of you out!"

Remus smiled as he watched Sirius and Severus being properly chastised by the elderly headmaster. No matter how old he got, he would always find the looks on their faces after such an event to be amusing. Deciding that now might be a good time to clear the air, Remus cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Ahh, Remus!" The kind headmaster turned to acknowledge the younger man standing in his doorway with a smile. "What news do you have for us?"

"Unfortunately Albus, I have nothing new to report. The Durselys said that Harry never showed up last night and that they don't plan on him coming back. Although it seems that some other members of our group had some luck."

"Yes, yes. Sirius and Severus ran into him at the Leaky Cauldron but it seems that he managed to escape yet again, leading most everyone in the bar in quite a spectacular wild goose chase. The two were just arguing over whose fault it was when you walked in."

"Sorry I missed it."

"Indeed, it was quite a show." Agitated, Sirius butted in.

"I'm glad that we've been such hearty entertainment for you Albus, but like you said, we should be sticking to the subject. Now what are your plans for finding Harry?"

"Sirius, Harry will not be so foolish as to let himself get nearly caught a second time. He will be much more wary of anyone he meets and any decisions he makes from now on. We could track him down if he uses magic, but the boy already knows this and will likely keep away from it. Unlike others he does not need magic to survive in the muggle world, he was raised by them after all. So that leaves our means of finding him very limited."

"So what are we going to do about it?"

"I'm afraid Sirius that there is not much that we *can* do. I will immediately gather together the members of the Order of the Phoenix of course and take any suggestions, but I'm sorry to say that I think the only thing that I see fit to do, is sit back and wait for Harry to return to us. No matter how long that may take."

* * *

It was nearing 10 o' clock when an unrecognized figure, shrouded in a brown trench coat entered the bar. No one had noticed when he came in, but whether this had to do with his reserved appearance or their current state of drunkenness, remained to be seen. They continued to remain unawares as he began to move silently amongst them, appearing to be searching for something or even more possibly, someone.

He was just passing a dark corner of pub after having made a full circuit of the room, when he stopped. Then slowly, he approached the corner to find a small boy no older than fifteen sitting there, by himself, with his head down. 

"Finally." he whispered to himself. After a very long and tiring week, his search had come to an end. 

He had found the Potential.

When he had gone to England those seven days ago, it had been to investigate the rumors of dark goings on in the area. Even half way across the world, there had been mutterings about a rising evil and without hesitation he had traveled the thousands of miles that lay in-between him and London to find out if it was true, and to see if there was anything he could do to stop it.

But immediately upon setting foot on land, he'd been assaulted by a wave of magic so strong that it could only be described as complete, raw energy. Untainted, untrained, and ready for shaping if the person was strong enough. It was pure magic so powerful, that it rivaled his own. An impressive feat, given what he was, and was capable of.

So, he had followed it. How could he not have? Never before had he met someone like him, someone that shared his strengths and capabilities. It didn't matter that they were uninformed and instructed, it simply gave him more reason to find them, to help if he was needed. 

For he remembered all to well, his own dilemma of having no one there to offer support. He remembered struggling with powers that he did not understand and he did not want someone else to go through the trials that he had. No matter how necessary. 

But every time he had gotten close, it had changed directions. Altered courses, doubled back to places they had already been. Only now did it seem that they had stopped, for indeed he was standing only paces away from his goal.

Cautiously, and almost nervously, he stepped forward out of the light, and approached the young man's table.

"Mind if I sit down?" Harry had just been nodding off, the warm lights and cheerful, albeit drunk, atmosphere doing their job of keeping a restful mood, when he'd heard the voice asking to sit down. Lifting his head, Harry couldn't see the man's face with the light shining behind him, but he was of average height, and garbed in clothing that appeared to be muggle, yet didn't seem to quite fit. Taking a closer look, Harry saw that he wore, despite the heat, a pair of brown leather trousers, and an off white chamois shirt that acted more like a tunic, as it was belted about the waist with a dark brown leather belt. He also wore a brown trench coat, and dark brown leather boots. Suspicious, but still not able to out right refuse someone, Harry shook his head and directed the man to the seat across from his own.

"Thank you. My name's Damien by the way." Harry didn't even hesitate when he replied with,

"James." At least now if the guy didn't already know who he was, he wouldn't know his real name and be able to use it against him. 

Now that the light wasn't shining in his eyes, Harry could see that this so called Damien had slightly curly brown hair that fell halfway between his ears, soft brown eyes, and an amicable smile. He spoke in a mild tone that was pleasing to the ear, and if Harry had been sure that he wasn't evil or sent to bring him home, he was certain that he might have liked him. //God, I'm just like Moody. I think everyone is my enemy now. //

"Well James, what brings you out here at this time of night?" Now really sure what to say, Harry gave him a neutral answer.

"Nothing in particular. I happen to be traveling and this placed seemed like one as good as any to stop at." Damien was shocked. 

"You're traveling by yourself? But where's your family? Won't they be worried about you?" 

"I very much doubt my family would care what I do." He said laughing lightly. "Still, it doesn't really matter. But how about you? What are you doing in the middle of nowhere?" Still worried, but not wanting to bother the kid, Damien let the earlier comment slide.

"I'm traveling as well, heading to France actually. I've been in England for the week but now I've seen I'll I want to and feel its time that I be moving on, so I decided to grab a boat across the channel tonight."

"Cool. So, you just go around, doing whatever you want? Sounds like a good life."

"It is, I enjoy it very much, although it does get a touch lonely sometimes." He replied frowning a bit before he brushed the thought away. "So tell me, where are you off to?"

"I hadn't decided yet. Maybe America, I heard it was an interesting place." Damien nodded, 'Hmm-ing' in agreement. For awhile they sat in silence, both lost in their own thoughts until Damien started getting anxious and decided that it was time to broach the reason of why he was here in the first place.

"Tell me something James, and be honest about it." Harry shrugged and nodded his head, signaling that he was ready to listen. "Are you a wizard?" The sable haired boy froze. 

He had just been getting comfortable with Damien when he asked that. Apparently he wasn't just an ordinary muggle looking for conversation, but what he was Harry still wasn't sure. Was he working for Voldemort or Dumbledore? And if so, what game was he playing? He probably already knew everything there was to know about him and surely he didn't think Harry simple minded enough not to know that. 

But then again, he might not be working for anyone at all. It certainly seemed like he had no idea who he really was, he continued to call him James and it would explain the awkward question. Relying on that last idea, Harry replied warily.

"And if I say yes?"

"It would certainly make my job a lot easier."

"And what might that be?" He asked not missing a beat. 

"Well, it's not a job really, more like a personal mission. I have some things to tell you, that would be a lot easier to explain if you already believed in magic." Harry wasn't really sure what to make of that.

"So tell me."

"Ok, for starters, do you happen to know anything about Mages?"

"What do Mages have to do with this?"

"A lot more then you think now just answer the question."

"I don't know much," he said giving the older man a funny look. "Just that they can perform wandless magic, have elemental abilities, and that there hasn't been one born in nearly a century."

"Well that's a start I guess." Damien said with a smile. "But that last part isn't exactly true. To put it bluntly, I'm a Mage, and for the past week, I've been tracking another one. See all Mages share a common bond, and even when they're not using magic, they can tell one another apart. Now this bond that they share is in a sense, tied to the earth, nature itself, which explains why that, only when I was actually sharing the same land as this other Mage, that I was able to detect them. So I followed their trail and do you know where it led me?" Harry remained silent. "Right here, to you." Things got quiet for a minute then, 

"You don't really expect me to believe that do you?" Apparently he had, for Damien seemed quite stunned to see Harry's narrowed eyes and stony expression. But then he smiled slightly.

"Alright then, try and believe this." He quickly glanced around the room and after seeing that most everyone, who wasn't gloriously drunk, were either busy or asleep, he turned back around. Then, he pushed up the sleeves of his coat baring his forearms (which were devoid of the dark mark Harry noted with relief) and clasped his hands together. Harry watched as he closed his eyes, then open them a moment later, gradually pulling his hands apart as he did so. 

Harry would have found this all extremely odd if it wasn't for the fact, that in-between his palms, and growing steadily in size, was a sphere of flames which Damien transferred to one hand after it had gotten to the size of a tennis ball.

Mesmerized, Harry tentatively reached out his hand toward the flames, to see if it was real, then sharply pulled back when the heat of it nearly burned his fingers. 

"Look, I know how hard this must be for you to believe, but I'm not lying to you. I *am* a Mage, as are you. Except it or not, your abilities won't just go away, and I'm telling you now that if you don't get training to keep them under control, you'll end up doing more then just a little bit of damage." With a snap of his fingers the flames were gone and Harry was left shaken. //Why does this always happen to me? Why do I have to be so different? Nothing will ever be normal in my life. // Sighing, he looked up into Damien's eyes.

"So what happens now?" 

"That's up to you." Well that didn't help. Harry's mind was spinning and he wasn't quite sure if it would ever stop. What he needed were answers, and Damien was the only one that could give them.

"Why did you come here? Travel all this way to tell me?" 

"Two reasons actually. The first one is because I had never met someone like me before, and meeting another Mage was something that I couldn't pass up. Although, that's not your title yet. What you're really called is a Potential. It means that you have the potential to be a Mage, but you haven't been trained yet. And that's the other reason why I'm here. I want to help train you. I never had anybody to teach me and learning to control my powers by my self was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I don't want you to have to go through the same experience." Harry nodded.

"So what are you suggesting?"

"If you come with me, I will teach you everything that you need to know from wandless magic, to elemental magic to different fighting style to everything you would have learned in school had you been there. All I ask in return is that you come with me, keep me company, help out when it's needed, and listen to what I have to say. I'll push you hard, but instruct you well. Life in the real world is dangerous, and I want you to be prepared for anything. Oh, and there is one more thing. I travel in secret, and I do it for a reason. My job is very dangerous. I take on missions for people that help fight the war against the Dark Lord more then anyone would ever guess. For me stay secret, would mean that you would have to cut ties with everyone you know."

When Damien had finished, all Harry could think about was saying yes. God, he wanted to go so badly, it was everything that he had hoped for. A free life where he still got to learn magic, where he got to make his own decisions and stop if he felt like it, it was almost perfect. But,

"I'm not sure. I don't mind leaving, but I'm worried about my friends and Godfather. Is there no way that I could write to them at all? Ever?" Damien frowned. Tracking charms could easily be put on owls, and writing or visiting friends could make the kid nostalgic. He didn't want to give in, but he was unsure that he could get him to come with out making some sort of compromise. He battled with himself for awhile before coming up with an idea. 

"Is there someone you could write to that would keep this all a secret? Who could tell you about what's going on with your friends but also wouldn't try to make you come home?"

Harry thought for awhile, racking his brains for someone who could do all those things. Someone knowledgeable, who he could trust to keep a secret from everyone else, yet at the same time wouldn't mind letting him live his life. Just as he was about to give up, it came to him.

"Yeah, I know someone like that, they'll be perfect." Damien grinned. 

"Great, so James, what's it gonna be?"

"I think you've got yourself a deal." 

They left the pub shortly later, Harry in high spirits, excited about the new turn his life had taken and now for a moment did he stop and worry about what he had left behind.

* * *

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